Violin piano



E. SILEN VIOLIN PIANO Aug. 17, 1943.

17 567? ,JL'Zem INVENTOR.

E. SILEN VIOLIN PIANO Aug. 17, 1943.

Filed Sept. 28, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 z'm'ek ,dv'lerz INVENTOR.

E. SILEN VIOLIN PIANO Aug. 17, 1943.

Filed Sept. 28, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 L2?? iczffizeiz INVENTOR.

E. SILEN VI'CLIN PIANO Aug. 17, 1943.

Filed Sept. 28, 1942 5 Sheets--i11eet 4 INVENTOR.

k'lilezz E. SI LEN IOLIN PIANO Aug. 17, 1943.

Filed Sept. 28', 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,327,072 VIOLIN PIANO Erick Silen, Kelso, Wash. Application September 28, 19 2, Serial No. 459,999 7 3 Claims.

I This invention relatest to violin pianos and it is designed more especially as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent 1,555,762, issuedto me on September 29, 1925. i

In the patented structure there is disclosed a bowing element in the form of a disk which, when brought into operative relation with a string, wipes on the string andthereby "sets up vibration. It'has been found in practice, however, that bowing disks disposed as disclosed in the patent, do not properly vibrate the strings because, when a disk is applied to a string, it not only wipes across the string but also wipes downwardly therealong with the result that the vibrations are deadened and the tone produced isnot as brilliant as desired. v

An object of the present invention is to so locate the bowing disks that they will exert a wiping action transversely 'of the wire or string and the downward wiping along the string, present in the patented structure, is substantially eliminated.

A still further object is to provide the bowing mechanism in a unit which is easily placed in or removedfrom the instrument in its entirety.

Another object is to simplify the mechanism utilized for operating the mechanism by eliminating the electric motor heretofore found necessary, the operating mechanism being of new andnovel construction and being propelled by foot power.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed. h In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a violin piano containing the present improvements, a portion being broken away to disclose some of the interior mechanism.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the in strument taken from front to rear.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken vertically rom front to rear through the bowing unit.

Figure! is a top'plan view of the bowing unit, parts being broken away and its supporting structure being shown in section.

Figure 5 is an enlarged face view oi-one of the bowing disks and illustrating its operative relation to one of the strings or wires of the instrument. 5 V

Figure 6 is a section on Figure 7 is a section on line 7-4, Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is a view partly in section and partly in front elevation of one end portion of the bowing unit, remote parts being removed.

Figure 9 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the driving mechanism, parts being shown in section and the positions of some of the parts line 6-6, Fig 5.

being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 10 is a vertical section through a portion of the driving mechanism taken substantially on the line |0l0, Fig. 9.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates the cabinet portion of the instrument the keyboard of which has been indicated at B. C designates the strings located in the same manner as usual in a piano while the sounding board has been disclosed at D. The arrangement of the strings can be the same as that disclosed in my patent heretofore referred to and these strings can be sounded by hammers under the control of a pneumatic piano-playing mechanism. The mechanism includes the wind chest I, the pneumatics J and the tractor K. This piano-playing mechanism is of the usual type and constitutes no part of the present invention. Accordingly it has not been shown or described in detail. I

The base I of the sounding board is extended back into the cabinet A and has side members or supports 2 extended upwardly from its side portions, these members being suitably braced at their upper ends by connecting brackets 3 attached to a frame 4.

A recess 5 is extended downwardly into the upper end of each strip or support 2 and provides seats to which are secured the ends of a crossstrip 6. A notch 1 is formed in one Wall of each recess 5 and removably mounted on this crossstrip and extended into the two recesses, is the base 8 of the bowing unit. Thi base carries at its ends turnbuttons 9 adapted to be moved into the notches l for the purpose of locking the base in position and it is preferred to provide each of the turnbuttons with an eye or loop I0 whereby they can be grasped readily for the purpose of lifting the base 8 and the parts carried thereby out of position within the instrument.

An elongated housing I2 is secured on the base 8 and extends longitudinally thereof and located within this housing is a series of springs l3 which engage the oifset portion ll of shafts l8 another link 6| to the parts 59, and 60 and this link 6! is extended to and pivotally mounted on the inner end of a foot-pedal 52.

From the foregoing it will be noted that when the pedal 62 is thrust downwardly, the thrust will be transmitted through link 6| to the hanger-supported link 60 which, in turn, will transmit thrust through link 60 to arm 52. Consequently shaft will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 9 and cause crank arm 53 to actuate shoe 51 for the purpose of rotating hub 48 in a counterclockwise direction. In Fig. 10 these parts have been shown in one extreme position. When pressure is removed from pedal 62, said pedal will rise to its normal position through the action of the expanding bellows or through the lifting action exerted by spring 63 upon the pedal 62.

A shaft 64 is extended through and journalled within the shaft 5| and one end thereof is provided with a crank arm 65 connected by a link 66 to an arm 61 mounted to swing upon shaft 35. The pivot pin 68 connecting these parts also serves to carry an arcuate shoe 69 similar to the shoe 5'! and adapted to fit Within the angular groove 31. The operation of this shoe is similar to that described in connection with shoe 5?, it being understood that when the shoe 69 is thrust in a counterclockwise direction it rotates hub 36 and pulley 34 whereas when it is moved in a clockwise direction, it automatically disengages itself from the walls of groove 31 so as to become recessed preparatory to repetition of its thrusting action.

A second bellows L similar to the bellows L is connected to shaft 64 in the same manner as shaft 5| is connected to bellows L, some of the corresponding parts being indicated at 52', 58', 59 and 60'. 1

Obviously by alternately depressing the treadles 62 and 62', the two shafts 5i and 64 can be alternately rotated in one direction, thereby to impart a continuous rotation in one direction to either or both the sprocket 34 and pulley 46. Rotation of the sprocket operates thebowing disk whereas rotation of pulley 46 drives the belt 10 which, in turn, propels the tremolo mechanism, l01l08 of my patent. V

The weight of the pulleys is such that they act as fly-wheels so that a steady rotation can be maintained.

Damper-operating mechanism has been indicated generally at H and is to be controlled by hand. The damper has been indicated at 73. As the damper and its controls constitute no part of the present invention they have not been shown or close detail.

Pulleys 5n and 5 can be bolted together shown or can be made in one piece.

To insure a sweet musical tone in the violin portion of the instrument it is necessary oi course to use violin size strings,

What is claimed is:

1. In a violin piano, a sounding board, strings supported adjacent thereto, spaced alined shafts, means for rotating one of the shafts, an interposed shaft detachably connected to and rotatable with the alined shafts, means for detachably connecting the interposed shaft to the alined shafts, a bowing disk adjacent to each of the strings, all of the disks being adjustably mount ed on the interposed shaft, and means for separately flexing the respective disks for contact with the adjacent strings.

2. In a violin piano a plurality of strings, spaced alined shafts, means for rotating one of the shafts, an interposed shaft cletachably connected at its ends to the alined shafts for rotation therewith, bowing disks adjustably mounted on the interposed shaft and rotatable therewith, each of said disks being positioned close to but out of contact with one of the strings, all of the strings being located in a plane extending close to the axes of rotation of the disks and all of the disks being positioned to exert a backward wiping action only when applied to their adjacent strings, and means for flexing the respective disks while rotating to contact them with the adjacent strings.

3. In a violin piano the combination with strings and a series of rotatable bowing disks of flexible material, of a supporting structure having seats, a cross-strip detachably and removably mounted at its ends on the seats, means for securing said cross-strip to the seats, said means including turn-buttons, there being recesses in the supporting structure to receive the buttons, and separate means supported by the cross strip and removable therewith as a unit for flexing the respective bowing disks.

ERICK SILEN. 

